The Vatican
Let's be brave
and visit the Vatican Museum by ourselves. You'll read in
Tripadvisor some posts/reviews that are very intimidating about the
scary, snaking lines outside the museum and we have found this
attitude not fair to those independent travellers who like and enjoy
to do things by themselves. First of all it is not fair to those
people who travel on the budget and who, maybe, are going to give up
a glorious meal just to join a tour.
Thanks to
Daniela for the following:
FAT &
HUGE LINE ISSUE. I don’t want to hide behind a finger, as we
say: it exists and it is not urban legend but don’t fall in
temptations each time somebody approaches you asking: “Do you
want to join a tour? Look at the line, the jaw-dropping line,
you crossed the Ocean to stand into a never ending line? And
once you are in, do you think that you could be able (but
he/she’s thinking “smart enough”) to understand where to go and
what to do? In less than 40 minutes, fellows, you could be in
with the most famous & knowledgeable city guide!” At this point,
think what things you are renouncing to join the tour (glorious
meals, souvenirs, drinks etc) and with a smile say “No, thank
you”. Because, you, my dear smart traveller, already know that
the line to enter the Vatican Museum is calculated in around 40
minutes every day, no matter at what time you decide to go
(however see the point “exceptions”). Even if the official time
planning of the Vatican is clearly stating that the Museum is
opening for the general public at 10am, I can give you my
Scout-Girl’s word (cross on the heart) that it is not
(completely) true; the line could reach the Janiculum Hill
otherwise! In fact to get the line lighter, people are let in
earlier than 10am, together with the groups/individuals with a
reservation; there is not a fixed rule, it depends on the booked
groups, normally they are over at 9am-9.30am. From January 2007,
when new entrance schedule was released, I have seen the Museum
opening at 10am just twice!
JUDGING LINE
LENGTH=CALCULATING THE STAND-INTO-THE-LINE TIME ISSUE. After
many years working as a local tour guide I can calculate how
long you will wait in the line taking some fixed points/spots.
If you join the line in Risorgimento Square corner Via Porta
Angelica is 50 minutes waiting; in Risorgimento Square corner
Via Bastioni Michelangelo 40 minutes waiting; in Viale Bastioni
Michelangelo (traffic light) 30 minutes waiting; any point along
Viale Vaticano from 10 up to 20 minutes waiting.
BEST TIME TO
GO ISSUE. Now I have to give more options for different kinds of
travellers.
Art lovers:
don’t even think to come out in less than 4-5 hours! I know you
all, my dears: You cannot resist in front of the art treasures
and the Vatican Museum is bread for your teeth and could be your
natural environment! So go early, I mean around 7.45-8am (we say
that the morning has the gold in the mouth!). Spend the waiting
hour to read a good guide book, or introducing the Vatican
Museum to your fellows, studying the map (see the point
“itinerary”). In front of the Vatican Walls (Viale Vaticano)
there are two nice caffés if you need further caffeine!
Sistine
Chapel Rockets (C’mon, confess that you want to go out as fast
as you can, you saw million times History Channel documentaries
about Michaelangel and now that you are here, of course you
don’t want to miss the chance! Busy schedule to cover is an
issue as well!): go around 2-2.30pm to have 2 hours to pace
around and reach the Sistine Chapel in time around 4.20pm (it
closes at 4.30).
ITINERARY
ISSUE. Art Lovers (you are my favourite!!!): Start with the
Cortile della Pigna (Pinecone Courtyard) and having the huge
pinecone in front of you lead to your right for the Pio
Clementino: that’s the beginning of the collections of the
antiquities. Walk along the looong corridor to check if the
Braccio Nuovo is open for the best pieces (unfortunately it is
not always open to public). At this point walk back and climb
the short staircase, stop at the window on the right for the
magnificent view. You will find yourselves in the Belvedere or
Octagon (?spelling?) Courtyard (Apollo of Blevedere, Lacoon
etc). Halls of Animals, Muses and the Rotunda Hall are waiting
for you. Climb up on the upper galleries (Candelabra, Tapestries
& Maps). At the end of the Maps make a left to lead to the
Raphael’s Rooms, you are then directed one floor below to the
Borgia Apartment and finally the Sistine Chapel. Little tip,
because I guess that at this point also art lovers need a rest!
Coming from the Borgia Apartment if you go straight (instead of
climbing the staircase to the Sistine) there are the bathrooms
and a little cute outdoor cafè for drinks & food. Inside the
Sistine Chapel you could mix up with guided groups that are
taking the shortcut to St Peter’s Church.
Sistine
Chapel Rockets: Start with the Cortile della Pigna (Pinecone
Courtyard) and having the huge pinecone in front of you lead to
your right for the Pio Clementino. Peak inside, walk a bit and
step back to the Courtyard to take the Simonetti Staircase on
your right. Stop on top of the first flight to see some of the
antiquities. Walk all the way down to the Sistine Chapel
(Galleries of Candelabra, Tapestries & Maps). At the end of the
Gallery of the Maps go straight, take the modern staircase to
the Sistine Chapel. The tip is always the same, but for you
means going downstairs to the right to find the cafè.
BEST GUIDED
TOUR ISSUE. If you cannot resist the temptation I would strongly
recommend the Museum Audio Guide! Cheap, efficient, useful! I
would like to think also that many of you still enjoy going into
a museum with a good guide book (or a scholar essay) to read in
a corner, acting as professional tour guides for their parties
(according to my opinion they really are!).
Here you are
some useful readings before you go:
http://www.stpetersbasilica.org/Necropolis/JW/TheBonesofStPeter-1.htm.
Print the infos you need and take the papers with you! About the
Sistine Chapel: King Ross, Michaelangel and the pope’s ceiling
(very easy going book!) or for a more professional approach
Charles Seymour jr, Michelangelo: the Sistine Chapel ceiling. I
would suggest also to buy at the first giftshop the official
Museum catalogue (blue cover with the Sistine Chapel ceiling on
top), that is easy to carry and well written.
You will
find the book-shop soon after you passed the metal detector
control (that's the reason why the lines). Here you are the
link for the catalogue (there are many but that one is the
best and if I remember correctly the cheapest!); even if I
clicked on the english version it seems that that page is
not translated yet:
I forgot
that now the cover is black (I have 2004 edition!), the
price should be around 15-20 euros. The audio guide will
allow you to save more money (6 euros only):
I love
books and I could not resist to buy them! Consider also that
the line goes fast so don't be scared if it is hundreds feet
long; if you don't like to get up very early I would go
around 8.30-9am or at 1pm (in this case you have more than 3
hours to pace around).
Comment
It is
often best to go at around 12:30, the lines are much shorter,
but be careful and look at the Vatican Museum's opening times
http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Orario.html
